Path of Shadows
by Morning Frost on Leaf
Summary: Bramblestar's ThunderClan has too many cats to feed, with former rogues and kittypets among them. Two concerned warriors will do anything to make sure ThunderClan survives leafbare... at whatever cost.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Has anyone noticed how** _ **absolutely enormous**_ **ThunderClan has grown by** _ **A Vision of Shadows?**_ **I have, and I've decided to write a fanfiction about it. It's set after** _ **A Vision of Shadows**_ **so if you haven't read the latest book, do be wary of spoilers. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Chapter One**

Featherfrost emerged from the apprentices' den, fluffing her silver-and-white tabby fur out against a chill that hinted at the end of greenleaf. Already the leaves of ThunderClan's great oaks were turning red and brown and gold and were drifting into the hollow. Soon it would be leaf-fall, and the forest would no longer be as rich in prey as it was now. She had to make sure the Clan was well-fed before that happened.

Suddenly something hurtled into her. Featherfrost's fur instinctively bristled, but she forced it to lay flat when she saw it was only Leopardkit.

"Sorry!" Leopardkit squeaked. "I didn't mean to run into you. I was just chasing this mouse," she added, flicking her tail towards the dusty piece of fresh-kill beside her.

Featherfrost blinked disapprovingly down at the spotted she-kit. "You really shouldn't play with your food," she began, but Leopardkit had already scampered away with the mouse in her jaws.

Featherfrost sighed. It was only dawn and half of ThunderClan was still asleep, but there were now so many cats in the Clan that it was impossible not to tread on each other's paws. It had been big enough already, but a few moons ago they were approached by Leopardkit's mother, a kittypet named Bella, who had fled her Twolegs fearing they were planning to drown her kits. She was desperate and of course the ThunderClan leader, Bramblestar, would never turn kits away to their deaths, so he took her in – despite the fact that she could neither fight nor hunt, Featherfrost soon noticed. In fact, like Daisy – the other queen in the nursery - all Bella seemed to do was laze around camp, eating the prey that the warriors had caught.

The rogues joined ThunderClan after. They were a bit better, Featherfrost supposed, because they could hunt and they could certainly fight. The problem was that they had no respect for the warrior code. They often disobeyed Bramblestar and a few times she'd noticed the rogues eating their kills when hunting instead of bringing it back to the Clan first. Featherfrost had told Bramblestar about it, but he seemed unbothered. "They aren't Clanborn," he had told her. "You need to give them time to settle in to our ways." Featherfrost had simply dipped her head, but privately she didn't think the rogues would _ever_ settle in to Clan life.

Rustling from the thorn tunnel snapped Featherfrost from her thoughts. A few heartbeats later, the dawn patrol came scrambling through the camp entrance.

It didn't take long to notice that something was wrong. Birchfall, who had led the patrol, made his way immediately to Bramblestar's den, and everyone else's fur was standing slightly on end. Lionfur, a pale ginger tom who'd been on patrol, looked exhausted as he dragged his paws to the fresh-kill pile.

Featherfrost bounded over to him. "Are you OK, Lionfur? What's happened?"

"I'll tell you in a moment," Lionfur meowed wearily as he pawed through the meagre fresh-kill pile. "I've been up since before sunrise and I'm hungry. Great StarClan, where is all the prey?" he added, his tail flicking irritably. "It's greenleaf. There was a hunting patrol yesterday at sunset!"

Lionfur glared pointedly at Raven and Roach, two rogues who had been on the hunting patrol. The rogues met his gaze and their eyes glittered as if daring Lionfur to challenge them.

"Yes, there was a hunting patrol yesterday," Roach said calmly after a few moments. "And we hunted."

 _Yes,_ Featherfrost thought accusingly, _but you didn't bring all the prey you hunted back to camp!_

Both Featherfrost and Lionfur turned their gazes to Bella a few tail-lengths away, who was sharing a fat wood pigeon with Leopardkit and the rest of her kits. She looked up from her meal when she noticed Featherfrost and Lionfur staring at her before swiping her tongue around her jaws.

"What are you two looking at?" the kittypet meowed defiantly, as if she could read their minds. "My kits need to eat."

Featherfrost looked away. It was true her kits needed to eat. But she noticed that the mouse Leopardkit had been playing with lay uneaten a few tail-lengths away from them, half-covered in dust and dirt.

* * *

"Great catch!" Featherfrost mewed as Lionfur brought down a pigeon.

Lionfur snapped its neck in one swift bite. "I just hope it's enough," he said grimly through a mouthful of feathers.

The two warriors padded through the ThunderClan woods, Lionfur's pelt blending in with the leaves that crunched underpaw. Late greenleaf sunlight danced in dapples on the forest floor and turned Lionfur's pale ginger pelt to flame. All around them Featherfrost could smell the musky scent of rotting leaves and, beneath that, prey growing fat on nuts and seeds and forest berries.

They had decided to go hunting since the fresh-kill pile was so small, and Lionfur was clearly in a foul mood about it. _And it isn't hard to see why,_ Featherfrost thought. Lionfur had come back from an early morning on the dawn patrol expecting a good meal and a warm nest. Now he was out in the forest again, having to hunt for his meal because the rogues and kittypets had eaten – or wasted – all of the food. He hasn't even been able to eat during the border patrol, because of whatever had happened there.

"I hope it's enough too," Featherfrost meowed in agreement. "StarClan knows there certainly isn't enough _space_. I can't believe I'm a warrior and I'm having to sleep in the apprentices' den because there isn't enough room to sleep with the warriors! What's the point of becoming a warrior when you're treated like an apprentice in everything but name?"

Lionfur gave a grunt of agreement. "I'm worried, Featherfrost. About the future of ThunderClan. We're struggling to feed everyone now, and it's still _greenleaf_. What's going to happen when leaf-bare eventually comes, when there's hardly any prey running in the forest and the fresh-kill we _do_ manage to catch is barely a mouthful? Will Bramblestar continue to do nothing when the kittypets in the Clan are wasteful with food, because they've never seen the struggles that leaf-bare brings? Are _we_ going to do nothing when the rogues eat our precious prey out in the forest, whilst ThunderClan kits and elders starve in camp?"

Suddenly Lionfur stopped and put his kill down. "And that's not all. The border patrol today…"

Featherfrost stopped, too. It was warmer now the sun had risen above the treetops but all Featherfrost could feel was dread cold as snowmelt as she waited for Lionfur to speak. Her silver fur prickled anxiously.

"ShadowClan scent, everywhere," he said at last. "Trees and rocks marked. Blood and fur and feathers where they've tried to catch ThunderClan prey. Prey-bones left where they _have_ caught prey. It was such a state you might have guessed a dog had been there, if it weren't for the overwhelming stench of ShadowClan."

Featherfrost's heart sank. "Perhaps some apprentices snuck out and crossed the border…"

"And why would apprentices leave scent markers and prey-bones out for ThunderClan to find, if they were sneaking out?"

Featherfrost knew he was right, but she didn't want to believe it. "Was it close to the ThunderClan and ShadowClan border? Maybe – maybe it was an accident, and they set the border markers too far, or they chased some prey over the border, or…"

Lionfur snorted. "And hedgehogs fly! No, it was too far from the border for it to be an accident, though not _that_ far. Far enough to suggest ShadowClan are trying to expand their territory."

"Great StarClan," she said despairingly, "that's the last thing we need. ThunderClan is so big we barely have enough prey for ourselves. How in StarClan would we survive if we gave a chunk of our territory to another Clan?" She looked desperately at Lionfur with pale blue eyes. "We have to do something, Lionfur. Not about ShadowClan – Bramblestar can't ignore that – but about ThunderClan. There are too many mouths to feed, and not enough prey or hunters to feed them. I don't want to live in a Clan where we struggle because there are too many cats and half of them are rogues and kittypets. I want…"

 _I want to have your kits,_ she was going to say before she stopped herself. _I want to have your kits but I can't have them if there isn't enough food for them to eat._ Featherfrost kept the thought to herself. She knew Lionfur was fond of her, but she didn't know whether he felt strongly enough about her to become a father.

"I want to speak with Bramblestar," she said finally.

Lionfur flicked his tail dismissively. "Hedgehogs will fly before he listens to you, Featherfrost," he growled. "He didn't do anything when you told him how the rogues were breaking the warrior code. Why would he do anything now?"

"I don't know, Lionfur," Featherfrost admitted. "Maybe he'll listen now that leaf-fall is nearly here, or now that ShadowClan is scouting for more territory. Or maybe you're right, and he'll just dismiss me again. Only StarClan knows. But I have to try."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm accepting submissions for Bella's kits (I really do hate making OCs) so feel free to send me OCs. Stay alert for the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so sorry about how long this took to update! I've now started at university so things are really hectic, but I'll try to update when I have the time.**

 **I've also made a few minor changes to the first chapter, both in the interests of plot and because of mistakes spotted by eagle-eyed reviewers. Thanks to those guys for correcting my typos, to FridayFirefly for coming up with names for Bella's kits and to everyone else for being my motivation to write this story. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Two**

It took all of Featherfrost's willpower to take her fresh-kill back to camp instead of eating it there and then.

 _The rogues don't offer_ their _prey to queens and elders first,_ a little niggling voice, tiny as a mouse, wheedled in her ear. _So why should you?_ And even if she _did_ take her fresh-kill back to camp, she rationalised, it would just be wasted by kittypets like Bella playing with their food anyway.

The mouse was right there between her jaws, mouth-watering and juicy. Even if she _did_ take her fresh-kill back to camp, the queens and elders might not be hungry. In that case she would eat the mouse anyway, except by then it would be cold and unappetising. But if she ate it now, it would still be warm. All she had to do was close her jaws…

 _No,_ she told herself sternly, coming to her senses. _Just because the rogues break the warrior code, it doesn't mean that it's OK for you to break it, too._

She decided to see Bramblestar about her concerns as soon as she'd placed the mouse on the fresh-kill pile; it would play on her mind otherwise. Lionfur offered to come with her, but she shook her head.

"You need to get some sleep," Featherfrost told him. "You look like you've been dragged backwards through a bramble thicket!"

Once Lionfur had left, Featherfrost climbed the rocky path to Bramblestar's den. It was a little past sunhigh and the chilly, early leaf-fall cold has dissipated; now the stone ground of the hollow felt warm underpaw. Many ThunderClan cats were lounging in camp: Cherryfall was sharing tongues with Stormcloud, a former kittypet, whilst Briarlight was sunning herself by Ivypool, her eyes half-closed and her lame legs splayed out behind her. A few cast curious glances at Featherfrost as she made her way to the leader's den, but the silver she-cat ignored them. She gave her chest a few nervous licks before deciding to get things over with.

"Bramblestar?" she called anxiously. "May I speak with you?"

"Featherfrost?" a voice rumbled back. "Of course. Come in."

Featherfrost pushed her way through the curtain of tendrils and stepped into the cave carved into the hollow wall. It was shady inside, with just a few slices of sunlight piercing the tendrils at the entrance and casting dapples on the cool stone floor. She had been inside the den only a few times before and she'd forgotten just how big it was. _All this den space, just for one cat!_ she couldn't help thinking. _And yet I'm cooped up in the apprentices' den because there isn't room for all the warriors to sleep together._

Bramblestar lay in a mossy nest at the end of the cave. Muscles still bulged under his dark tabby pelt and his claws were sharp, but Featherfrost noticed that his amber eyes were dull. A stab of disdain, and then pity, coursed through her. Bramblestar hadn't been the same ever since his mate and deputy, Squirrelflight, died of greencough one leaf-bare - the same bout that had taken one of Bramblestar's own nine lives. Warriors had long ventured that Brambestar's adopted son, Lionblaze, would be the next deputy of ThunderClan after her, but then Lionblaze was killed fighting a badger. They said it happened because Lionblaze was too reckless; he'd always been too reckless, as if he thought he were invincible. "He died as he lived – fighting for his Clan," Birchfall said at Lionblaze's vigil. Lionfur had been named after him, in honour of his bravery.

Featherfrost heard that Bramblestar once had another adopted kit, Hollyleaf, who died before Featherfrost was born. Now Jayfeather was the only cat of that litter still alive, and the loss of Bramblestar's family had crushed him. She remembered how dull his voice had sounded when he appointed Cinderheart as the next deputy of ThunderClan.

Still, Bramblestar made an effort to heave himself to his paws when she approached. "Hello, Featherfrost," he said politely, though Featherfrost thought she could detect a note of weariness in his voice. "What was it you wanted to talk with me about?"

For a few heartbeats Featherfrost kneaded the ground, not knowing what to say. She should have thought about what she was going to tell Bramblestar before she entered his den, she realised, but she was so eager to get her concerns off her chest that she'd simply forgotten. To her relief, Bramblestar wrapped his tail around his paws and waited patiently for her to speak.

"Bramblestar, I'm worried about the rogues and kittypets in the Clan," she began. "Leaf-bare is coming, and-"

"We've spoken about this before, Featherfrost," Bramblestar interrupted. "I've already told you; it's just going to take a little while for Bella and Raven and all the rest of them to get used to our ways. And they aren't 'rogues' and 'kittypets' - not anymore - they're ThunderClan cats now, same as you and me. Do you understand?"

"You've given them time!" Featherfrost couldn't help but protest. "But now time is running out. When leaf-bare comes, it's going to be difficult to feed the Clan – especially a Clan as big as this one. But it's going to be nearly impossible if there are cats eating the fresh-kill they're supposed to bring back for the Clan, or if they're playing with their food instead of eating it!"

Bramblestar looked at her wordlessly, and for a heartbeat Featherfrost was afraid he was going to punish her for arguing. But then he rose unexpectedly to his paws and began circling his nest, his amber gaze shifting to the flattened heap of moss. Featherfrost couldn't help looking, too.

"What is this, Featherfrost?" Bramblestar asked.

"Your nest," Featherfrost mewed uncertainly. Was this some kind of trick?

"Yes, it's my nest," Bramblestar mewed. "But it wasn't _always_ my nest. Look." Gently, Bramblestar raked at a little patch of moss with his claws. When Featherfrost peered closer, she could see a few ginger hairs sitting amongst the green bedding. "Before it was my nest, before you were born, this nest belonged to a cat named Firestar. Have you heard of Firestar before, Featherfrost?"

"The elders have mentioned him once or twice," Featherfrost admitted. "They say he was one of the greatest leaders ThunderClan has ever known."

"The greatest leader ThunderClan has ever known, yes," Bramblestar said, "and a former kittypet."

Featherfrost tried unsuccessfully to stop the fur on her back from prickling. She could see where Bramblestar was going with this. _Just because_ one _kittypet once became a great warrior, it doesn't mean that ThunderClan should take in every kittypet in Twolegplace!_

Bramblestar noticed her pelt prickling, but his whiskers only twitched with amusement. "I know what you're thinking," he mewed. "And in a sense, you're right - Firestar was no ordinary kittypet. But he's closer to Bella and the others than you might think, Featherfrost. He shocked the senior warriors because he didn't understand that prey was scarce or that borders are important. He broke the warrior code many times by eating prey before bringing it back to the Clan, or by disobeying his leader. But he was always loyal to his Clan. He always did what was right. And every day, when I lay in this nest he entrusted to me, I try to follow in his pawsteps and be sort the leader he was." Then, Bramblestar added, "I just don't want to be a leader like…"

Suddenly Bramblestar trailed off, as if he'd said too much, and began licking his chest self-consciously. Featherfrost pricked her ears, trying to understand the oddness of what just happened. Just a heartbeat ago amber eyes had been blazing with admiration for Firestar, and now they were fixed on the ground. What had Bramblestar been about to say? And why did he not want to say it?

Bizarrely, she smelt fear-scent.

"Anyway," he continued in a strangely brisk voice, "what I am trying to tell you is that even cats who aren't Clanborn can grow to become great warriors with time. But there is nothing wrong with a push in the right direction." The dark tabby tom met her gaze. "Bella's kits will be apprenticed in the next few days."

It felt like a weight had been lifted off Featherfrost's chest. In spite of Bramblestar's peculiar change in behaviour, she gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Bramblestar."

He nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with my senior warriors to discuss what to do about the ShadowClan scent on our territory."

Featherfrost was a little taken aback at his hasty dismissal, but dipped her head politely and bid Bramblestar goodbye. She'd achieved a good result – Bella's kits would finally start learning what it meant to be a Clan cat – and yet she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Something odd had passed in the leader's den, and all the lives StarClan had given weren't enough to stop it from terrifying Bramblestar. Featherfrost didn't know what it was exactly, but there was one thing she was sure of: Bramblestar was hiding something.

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Bramblestar's yowl rang across the hollow, causing some of Featherfrost's Clanmates to prick their ears with curiosity. Sparkpelt and Twigtail stopped eating the mouse they'd been sharing to look up attentively. Briarlight dragged herself from the medicine cat's den by her forepaws whilst Jayfeather followed, looking annoyed at having been interrupted. Birchfall and the other senior warriors sat looking grim, as if they knew what the Clan meeting was about. Lionfur emerged yawning from the apprentices' den, his thick ginger chest fur sticking up in every direction. Featherfrost bounded over as soon as she saw him.

"Lionfur, you're up," she said hurriedly. "I've been waiting to tell you that I spoke to Bramblestar earlier. He said that-"

"Shh!" Cherryfall hushed her with a glare. "Bramblestar's about to speak."

"Cats of ThunderClan, I have called this Clan meeting to bring you some unwelcome news," Bramblestar rumbled. "ShadowClan was scented stealing prey on our territory."

Yowls of fury erupted from the Clan. "Fox-hearts!" "Prey-stealers!" "We should teach them a lesson!"

Bramblestar raised his tail for silence. "Believe me, this will not go unchallenged. I have spoken to my senior warriors and decided to take a patrol to ShadowClan. Tigerstar may have only recently succeeded Rowanstar, but I swear to StarClan that he will answer for his Clan's crimes."

The yowls of fury turned to yowls of approval; Featherfrost noticed that it was Lionfur and Bumblestripe who seemed to be yowling the loudest, whilst Dovewing was silent. "When will you go?" one voice called.

"Tonight," Bramblestar mewed. "If we leave it any longer, the scent will fade and ShadowClan will deny that they trespassed." His amber eyes glittered, and for a moment Featherfrost thought she saw the old, strong ThunderClan leader return, the way he was before Squirrelflight and Lionblaze died. "I will lead the patrol myself." He turned his gaze down to where Featherfrost and Lionfur were sat. "Lionfur, you were on the border patrol that scented ShadowClan; you will come with me. Featherfrost, Dovewing, Bumblestripe, you will come too."

Bramblestar jumped down from the Highledge and made his way to the camp entrance, along with Bumblestripe and Dovewing. Lionfur's eyes were glittering with anticipation, though Featherfrost couldn't help lashing her tail in irritation. _Great – now I'll have to wait until_ after _the patrol to tell Lionfur what Bramblestar said!_ Pushing her annoyance aside, she followed Lionfur to the thorn barrier, readying herself for the possibility that blood would be spilt tonight.

 **A/N:** _ **Who**_ **is it Bramblestar said he didn't want to be like before he stopped himself? What's he hiding? ;-) Guess in your reviews!**

 **There are also some cats introduced in** _ **A Vision of Shadows**_ **I want to be in this story – namely, Twigpaw, Stemkit, Plumkit, Eaglekit and Shellkit – but I absolutely** _ **hate**_ **coming up with my own warrior names for canon characters. So if you have any warrior name suggestions for these cats, please let me know! See you next time.**


End file.
